Agencies are racing to “modernize.” Every week brings a new acronym, platform, tool set or enterprise upgrade. The talking points are polished; the slide decks are immaculate; the funding lines are full of promise. And yet, ask any federal, state or local employee how transformation feels, and you’ll hear a very different story.
Tools are multiplying. Systems are evolving. But the workforce is exhausted, overwhelmed, undertrained and expected to adapt at the speed of technology while still meeting mission requirements that haven’t changed in decades.
Here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: The future of government is not digital. The future of government is human competence in a digital world.
Digital tools don’t magically transform organizations. They amplify what already exists, for better or for worse.
As I often remind leaders, “A new platform won’t fix a broken process. It will just break faster.”
Government doesn’t need more technology to succeed. It needs people who are empowered, trained, confident and skilled enough to leverage technology with intention, clarity and mission focus.
Let’s unpack what this really means.
Digital Tools Amplify Competence — They Don’t Create It
For the last decade, the public sector has invested in modernization with admirable urgency. Cloud migration. Zero trust. AI pilots. Data dashboards. Digital services. Automation. The movement is real, and necessary.
But there is a fundamental misconception embedded in many modernization strategies:
Technology is assumed to create competence.
But competence comes from people — people who understand the mission, the context, the workflows and the operational reality. When tools land in the hands of a workforce that hasn’t been equipped to adapt, here’s what happens:
- Digital platforms are underutilized.
- Data becomes overwhelming, not empowering.
- Automation introduces new errors instead of reducing old ones.
- AI recommendations go unquestioned, until they break something.
- Customer experience gets worse because employees don’t trust the tools they’re required to use.
Government must shift from “deploy the technology” to “develop the humans who will use the technology.”
Modernization is not a software install, it’s a skill strategy. And right now, the gaps are widening.
The Top 5 Digital Literacy Gaps No One Wants to Say Out Loud
Every agency acknowledges the need for modernization. But few openly discuss the specific competencies missing across the workforce that keep federal, state and local transformation efforts stuck.
Here are the five digital literacy gaps that quietly derail mission success:
1. Systems Thinking — Not Just System Use
Employees are trained on how to click, not how the system fits into mission flow.
Without understanding interdependencies, a workforce cannot optimize or question the technology.
2. Data Interpretation Instead of Data Consumption
Government is drowning in dashboards and starving for insight.
Most employees don’t need more data, they need to know what it means, what to do with it and when to trust it.
3. Basic Automation Literacy
Automation is often framed as “set it and forget it,” but employees need to understand:
- What should be automated
- What should never be automated
- How automation changes accountability and risk
4. Comfort With AI as a Decision Partner
AI is entering every mission space, from fraud analytics to supply chain optimization to cyber defense. Workforces need training not just in AI use, but in AI skepticism, AI transparency and AI oversight.
5. Digital Communication and Collaboration Skills
Hybrid work requires a new skill set, one many agencies never formally developed.
Employees need to know how to communicate, escalate, coordinate and collaborate effectively across digital channels.
These gaps are not criticisms, they are realities. And they are fixable. But they’re not fixed through another tool or mandate. They’re fixed through human development.
Why Customer Experience Will Collapse Without Workforce Upskilling
Government leaders want to improve customer experience. They want faster processing, clearer communication, better service, and stronger trust. But CX is not a technology problem, it is a human capability problem.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Digital experience will always reflect employee experience.
If employees don’t understand the tools, the tools won’t improve the experience. If employees lack confidence, customers will feel it. If employees aren’t trained, citizens will wait longer, grow more frustrated and lose trust.
Digital transformation and CX transformation are inseparable, and both depend on workforce transformation. An agency cannot deliver exceptional service externally without building competence internally.
The New Agency North Star: Digital Confidence
For the next decade, the North Star for every government organization should be simple and human-centered:
Digital confidence at scale.
Digital confidence is not about technical expertise. It’s about comfort, clarity, empowerment and competence.
It means employees who:
- Understand how tools support the mission
- Trust their ability to navigate new technologies
- Know how to evaluate data and AI outputs
- Feel empowered, not threatened, by modernization
- Can adapt to change without burning out
When workforce confidence rises, modernization outcomes rise with it. And when modernization outcomes rise, mission success accelerates. Digital confidence is the multiplier that makes every technology investment worth it.
What Government Must Do Next
To build a workforce ready for a digital future, government leaders must pivot from technology-first to human-first modernization.
This includes:
- Embedding digital literacy training into every role, not just IT
- Funding workforce transformation with the same seriousness as platform upgrades
- Adding “digital competence” to performance and development plans
- Teaching employees how to think, not just how to click
- Recognizing that mindset shifts take time, coaching and reinforcement
- Measuring success not by system deployment, but by user adoption and mission impact
The future of government will belong to the agencies that invest in people with the same urgency that they invest in platforms.
Technology will keep evolving. But human competence, multiplied by digital confidence, is what will define the next era of public service.
Dr. Rhonda Farrell is a transformation advisor with decades of experience driving impactful change and strategic growth for DoD, IC, Joint, and commercial agencies and organizations. She has a robust background in digital transformation, organizational development, and process improvement, offering a unique perspective that combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of business dynamics. As a strategy and innovation leader, she aligns with CIO, CTO, CDO, CISO, and Chief of Staff initiatives to identify strategic gaps, realign missions, and re-engineer organizations. Based in Baltimore and a proud US Marine Corps veteran, she brings a disciplined, resilient, and mission-focused approach to her work, enabling organizations to pivot and innovate successfully.
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